An ethics complaint against a local city commissioner has fizzled — lacking cause.
The Florida Commission on Ethics reviewed 37 matters in a closed session Sept. 10, including a complaint against Holmes Beach Commissioner Kim Rash for allegedly abusing his office “by asserting he did not have to comply with laws or regulations because various city department employees ‘work for him,’” according to a news release distributed after the meeting.
The complaint, which was kept confidential based on rules of the ethics commission, likely relates to the complaints lodged in May with Holmes Beach police that culminated in Rash’s neighbor selling and moving from the city.
Anastasios Tricas, the former owner of 7214 Holmes Blvd., a deeded half-duplex, filed a noise complaint with the Holmes Beach Police Department May 1 against Rash, the owner of the other half of the duplex at 7216 Holmes Blvd., for leaving music playing in his unit for three days while absent, before Tricas made his ethics complaint. A shared wall separates the two villas.
Police responded to Tricas’ unit and determined the noise was a violation of city code and served Rash with a warning, which resulted in compliance from Rash.
In a statement to police, Tricas said the issue was larger than the noise violation and that his family had decided to sell their unit and move due to harassment by Rash.
Tricas alleged in his statement that Rash looked into the windows of his home without consent, made his family members uncomfortable with inappropriate comments and used his position as a city commissioner to protect himself.
“We were frightened about the idea of calling the police because Kim Rash has made it clear that he is a city councilman and the police work for him,” Tricas wrote. “He has told me on more than one occasion that all he has to do is call his ‘buddys’ (sic) at the police department and they will respond and do his bidding.”
Tricas sold his homesteaded unit June 10 for $867,500 to a couple with a North Carolina address.
The ethics commission’s news release did not provide the complaint, an explanation or investigation materials.
Rash wrote in a Sept. 17 email to The Islander that he was “totally innocent” and believed the allegations were designed on Tricas’ part “to slander my reputation.”
“It is unfortunate that Florida taxpayer resources of time and money were used in this frivolous charade,” Rash wrote.